THERE IS NEVER a dull moment in West Indies cricket whether on or off the field of play. The latest point of discussion and disagreement is the departure of Shivnarine Chanderpaul form the Test arena.
The exploits of Mr Chanderpaul as a dependable batsman over many years must be both appreciated and applauded. He was there in both the good times and the bad. He carried the Caribbean side on his shoulders for a long time and racked up a series of impressive records along the way.
Overtaking Brian Lara to become the West Indian batsman with the most Test runs would have been the ideal curtain to his innings.Â
Recently, however, his form has been poor and clearly a worry to the teams’ new management. They felt it was time to move on without him; he clearly did not understand the end was here as he wanted to be in the middle a bit longer, personal objectives in view.
The situation tells that despite his long and courageous contribution, the talented Mr Chanderpaul did not understand West Indies cricket and apparently chose to ignore its history. He was a master in the middle but was apparently rather naive about certain aspects of the game beyond the boundary.
Mr Chanderpaul must realise and accept that he is not the first to be let loose by regional cricket selectors before the player felt his game was over. And unless there is some dramatic change in approach by the regional cricket administrators, he will not be the last to suffer such a fate.
He need not stoop to blaming at this stage but must recognise what has transpired and move on. Performance must be at the core when it comes to cricketers and what they must deliver; there is no place for sentiment nor retention other than based on merit.
We know only too well the reaction of West Indies cricket fans when the team performs poorly. It is a case of only the best is good enough.
Mr Chanderpaul must have recognised his own declining performance. This should have signalled to him that he needed to map out the timing of his departure – and, more importantly, to publicly indicate such. Fans, the sports’ administrators and his team colleagues would then be aware of his intentions.
There is a lesson in all of this for regional sportsmen, and cricketers in particular: it is about planning their exit from their various sporting activities.
Much can be gained from observing how it is done in the United States. How former New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter ended his career in 2014 should be a case study for our sportsmen and sports administrators. Tasteful and a spectacle.
Our cricketers must not behave like our politicians, who often don’t know when it is time for them to go.
